Slicer having automatic materials feed

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for feeding pieces of material to a cutting tool which sequentially cuts slices from each piece of the material, stores block-like pieces of the material in a stack from which a single piece is discharged to be sliced, displaces the uncut portion of a piece to the side away from the cutting tool after completion of each slicing advance thereby to retract the uncut portion past the tool without interference, engages the residual portion of the piece which is too thin to be again sliced to control its removal from the machine, and separates the residual piece from the last slice cut from it without damage to the slice.

Pedi

1 Sept. 3, 1974 SLICER HAVING AUTOMATIC MATERIALS FEED Mario J. Pedi, 16Wickham Rd., Winchester, Mass. 01890 Filed: Mar. 23, 1973 Appl. No.:344,178

Related U.S. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 179,464, Sept. 10,1971, Pat. No. 3,736,829.

Inventor:

/l 58 PRESSURE #4 SUPPLY CONTROL.

UNIT

2,530,880 11/1950 Hermann 83/715 2,680,510 6/1954 Donath ..2l4/8.5F

Primary ExaminerJ. M. Meister Attorney, Agent, or FirmKenway & Jenney [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for feeding pieces of material to a cutting toolwhich sequentially cuts slices from each piece of the material, storesblock-like pieces of the material in a stack from which a single pieceis discharged to be sliced, displaces the uncut portion of a piece tothe side away from the cutting tool after completion of each slicingadvance thereby to retract the uncut portion past the tool withoutinterference, engages the residual portion of the piece which is toothin to be again sliced to control its. removal from the machine, andseparates the residual piece from the last slice cut from it withoutdamage to the slice.

5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENIEBSEP 31914 I SHEET 10F 5 SUPPLY FROMSWITCH PRESSURE CONTROL UNIT PATENIEDsEP 3:914

sum 3 or 5 Fly 5.

PATENTEB 3.832.929

saw u or 5 PATENTED 3.832.929

SHEET 50F sTART 112 BANDSAW RETURN 114 TABLE TABLE YES 118 EMPTY? NODISCHARGE BLOCK DRIVE r120 CLAMP JAW ADVANCE 122 1 lg TABLE SWITCH 92YES CLOSED I 128 NO K RETRACT RESTRAINING JAW 126 PROJECT AND RETRACT EEIS F E,

WEDGE .32 T F EXTEND RESTRAINING JAW SLICER HAVING AUTOMATIC MATERIALSFEED BACKGROUND This application is a divisional of the pending US. Pat.application Ser. No. 179,464 of Mario J. Pedi filed Sept. 10, 1971, nowUS Pat. No. 3,736,829, for Slicer Having Automatic Materials Feed."

This invention relates to an automatic mechanism for feeding a piece ofmaterial to a cuttingtool which repeatedly cuts a slice from the piece.ln particular, the invention provides such a feed mechanism thatpositions and moves the initial piece and the uncut portion of the piecein a manner that facilitates the automatic cutting of successive slicesfrom each piece, the automatic removal of the residue of the piece, andthe automatic introduction of successive pieces to be sliced.

The invention finds use, by way of illustrative example, in equipmentfor slicing foodstuffs and in particular for cutting blocks of frozenfishinto slices. Accordingly, the invention will be described withreference to an embodiment of this kind, although features of theinvention can be used to advantage in equipment for slicing othermaterials.

As illustrated for example by US. Pat. No. 1,427,661, it is known toprovide a meat-slicing band saw with a reciprocating meat-carrying trayand with a stationary rail against which the meat is slid for meteringthe thickness of the meat slices. Further, US Pat. Nos. 1,643,829;l,793,46l;and 1,959,184 disclose different constructions for meatcutters which are broadly of the present type and which appearto beconcerned with the problem of preventing the meat which is being cutfrom interferingly engaging with the saw blade when the carriagecarrying the meat is retracted back past the blade to theinitialposition from which the cutting of another slice is started. One priormachine avoids the problem by retracting both the cut slice and theuncut meat together. The other constructions of these patents have thetray or platform on which the meat rests movable to separate the cutslices from the uncut meat. The construction of platforms for thismotion, together with the advance-retract motion which carries the meatby the saw blade for the cutting operation, is relatively complex andhence is generally costly and of limited reliability. U.S. Pat. Nos.1,803,489; 2,08 l ,033; 2,807,291; and 3,240,244 also disclose slicingmachines but do not appear to contribute to the solution of thisproblem. Further, the handling of material such as frozen fish and thelike is different from the handling of thawed meat due to the differentphysical properties of the different materials.

Accordingly it is an object of this invention to provide a mechanism forfeeding block-like pieces of material automatically to a slicing cutterrepeatedly for the sequential slicing of each piece.

Another object of the invention is to provide a feed mechanism of theabove character which advances and then retracts the material being cutrelative to the cutter, for the sequential slicing of the material, andwhich has an improved mechanism which selectively repositions the uncutportion of the piece after the cutting advance for unencumberedretraction of the block past the blade.

Another object of the invention is to provide slicing equipment whichautomatically feeds successive pieces of material to a slicing cutterrepeatedly for the automatic sequential cutting of full-thickness slicesfrom each piece.

A further object of the invention is to provide slicing equipment of theabove character which automatically removes from the feed mechanismthereof the uncut residue of each piece of material when the thicknessthereof isbelow a selected value, and in particular is too thin to allowthe cutting of a full thickness slice therefrom.

Still another object of the invention is to provide slicing and feedapparatus of the above character for operation with block-like pieces ofmaterial and, in particular, for operation with block-like pieces of amaterial such as frozen fish.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and will in partappear hereinafter.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A slicer according to the invention, and whichfeeds blocks of material in serial succession to a cutting tool whichsequentially cuts slices from each block, has a store of stacked blocksand discharges single blocks from the store for feeding to the cuttingtool. A transport advances a block discharged from the store into andthrough engagement with the cutting tool to cut a slice from it. A wedgeis then interposed into the cut just made to open the cut by moving theuncut portion of the block laterally away from the slice just cut. Thetransport then retracts the laterally displaced block, preparatory tothe cutting of another slice, with the cutting tool passingbackward'into and through the widened out without interfering engagementwith the uncut portion of the block. Further, a restraining mechanismengages the residual portion of the block when it is too thin to outanother full thickness slice from it. The restraining mechanism holdsthe residue of the block so that the transport retracts without it. Thisfacilitates removal of the residue of each block and enables thetransport automatically to pick up another block discharged from thestore for automatic feeding to the cutting tool. As the residue and thelast slice cut from it are discharged from the machine, the sliceengages a separator that separates, with a resilient wedging action, theresidual portion from it.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combinations of elements, and arrangement of parts exemplified in theconstruction hereinafter set forth, and further comprises the severalsteps and the relation of one or more of such steps with re spect toeach of the others according to which the apparatus functions, and thescope of the invention is indicated in the claims BRIEF DESCRIPTION OFDRAWINGS FIG. 1A is an enlarged detail of a portion of FIG. 1 7

showing the block-discharging operation of the slicing machine;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the machine of FIG. 1 showing both initialand final positions of the block transport;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the machine of FIG. 1 takenfrom another angle and showing elements adjacent the final position ofthe block transport;

FIG. 4 is a detail of FIG. 3 illustrating operation of the block-residuerestraining mechanism;

FIG. 5 is a side elevation view, partly broken away, of the restrainingmechanism actuator for the machine of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6 and 7 are top plan views of the machine of FIG. 1 showingsuccessive stages in the operation; and

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of the operation of the machine of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT FIGS. 1 and 2 show an automaticslicer 10 in accordance with the invention and having a band saw 12 witha blade 14, typically conventional, fitted with a feed mechanism 16. Themechanism discharges blocks 18, illustratively of frozen food such asfrozen fish, individually from a stack to a table 22. The feed mechanismrepeatedly reciprocates the table with the block carried on it back andforth relative to the blade 14 to cut slices from the block. As shown inFIG. 2, this reciprocating movement carries the table 22 between aninitial position 23, shown with solid lines, and a final position 25,shown with dashed lines.

An actuator 26 mounts a wedge 24 and interposes the wedge into the cut28 between the block and the last slice 30 cut from it. The actuatorprovides this operation each time the table 22 has advanced to the finalposition, carrying the block through a cutting engagement with theblade, and prior to commencing the return to the initial position. Thewedge shifts the uncut portion 18a of the block sideways away from thesaw blade so that the block portion passes by the blade back to theinitial position without interferingly engaging it.

As also shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slicer 10 has a restrainingmechanism 32 that automatically restrains the uncut portion of a block,when it is too thin to cut another slice from it, at the final position25. This ensures that the scrap portion of the block is removed from thereciprocating table 22 prior to the loading of a fresh block 18 onto thetable for feeding to the saw. Operation of the restraining mechanism 32inhibits the actuator 26 from projecting the wedge 24 between the scrapportion of the block and the last slice cut from it.

More particularly, as further shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the slicer 10 hasa base 36 which mounts a frame 34 for carrying the band-saw blade 14.The base 36, which also carries the feed mechanism 16, supports thereciprocating table 22 on one side of the saw blade 14 and a fixed table38 on the other side of the blade. The tables 22 and 38 are horizontaland coplanar, and the section of the saw blade passing between them isvertical, with the cutting edge facing along the direction in which thetable 22 reciprocates. A guide fence 40 is mounted on the fixed table 38extending in the horizontal direction and along the side of thereciprocating table 22 throughout the length of its reciprocatingtravel. The fence is mounted in a conventional manner to adjust thespacing between it and the saw blade; the block 18 being cut is slidalong the fence. and hence 4 this spacing between the blade and fence isthe thickness of the slice being cut.

The base 36 carries two horizontal guide bars 42,42 to which thereciprocating table 22 is slidably mounted for movement between theinitial position 23 and the final position 25. The reciprocating drivefor the table is a pneumatic cylinder 44 mounted on the base 36 andfitted with a piston 46 affixed to the table 22, as shown in FIG. 1. Acontrol unit 48 is connected with the slicer 10 to control the cylinder44 projection, and alternatively retraction, of the piston 46, andthereby control the reciprocating movement of the table 22.

The table 22 carries two walls 47 and 49 adjustably spaced apart alongthe direction of the table movement to seat the block being out betweenthem. The walls 47 and 49 thus'ensure that the block being cut moveswith the reciprocating table, and remains properly oriented relative tothe saw blade.

A block 18a being cut is held against the guide fence 40 by a clampingjaw 50 which is at the end of a piston 52 projecting from a pneumaticcylinder 54 affixed to the reciprocating table 22. The fence 40 thusserves as a clamping member for the block being cut. As shown in FIG. 2,the block-clamping cylinder 54 and piston 52 and the jaw 50 reciprocatewith the table 22. The cylinder 54, operating with the control unit 48,projects the piston 52 toward the fence to clamp the block as shown inFIG. 2 and alternatively retracts the piston to release the residue ofthe block and for receiving a fresh block as shown in FIG. 5. 1

During each slice-cutting operation, when the table 22 advances from theinitial position to the final position, the control unit 48 controls thecylinder 54 to project the piston toward the fence 40, therebymaintaining the block being cut butted against the fence as each sliceis cut from it. However, during each retraction of the table with ablock on it back to the initial position, theblock 18a being cut isdisplaced away from the fence due to the action of the wedge 24 and thecontrol of the cylinder 54.

More specifically, at the start of the advance of table 22 from theinitial position to the final position, the control unit 48 and cylinder54 drive the piston 52 outward to press the block 18a being cut firmlyagainst the guide fence 40. Thereafter, as the table 22 travels to thefinal position, the pressure in the cylinder 54 gradually decreases.However, the cylinder 54 pressure does not reach zero prior to the table22 reaching the final position, so that the piston 52 continuously urgesthe block 18a against the fence throughout the cutting of each slice. Atthis juncture, i.e., with the table 22 in the final position, the wedge24 is actuated and displaces the block 18a awayfrom the slice just cutand hence away from the fence, see FIG. 3. The cylinder 54 offers nosignificant opposition to this motion, allowing the piston 52 totelescope into it. Hence, the wedge 24 does not deform the block 18a.Further, after retraction of the wedge out of the saw cut, the block 18aremains displaced away from the fence as the table is retracted to itsinital position.

The feed mechanism 16 stores blocks 18 and discharges them one at a timeto the reciprocating table 22 by means of a store and dischargemechanism 56 mounted on the base 36 above the table 22. As shown inFIGS. 1, 1A, and 2, this mechanism 56 stores the stack 20 of blocks in abox-like enclosure 58 having a horizontal bottom platform 60 parallel toand spaced above the table 22 and from which adjustably positionedstack-enclosing walls 62 extend upwardly. To facilitate loading theblocks into the mechanism 56, the walls 62 can be flared outwardly inthe upward direction to form a guide chute or, alternatively, can haveone or more walls such as the sidewall 62a spring loaded to urge theblocks resiliently against the opposing sidewall 62b. For this purpose,a spring-loaded hinge 63 mounts the sidewall 62a to the platform 60 andurges the wall against the stacked blocks, but allows it to be swungdown to load more blocks into the enclosure 58.

To discharge the lowermost block from the stack on the platform 60, thefront enclosure wall 62c has a window 64 through which the block can bepushed off the platform, to discharge it onto the table 22. To effectthe discharge, a pneumatic cylinder 66 extends a pusher jaw 68, on thefree end of a piston 70 seated in the cylinder 66, through a furtherwindow in the back enclosure wall 62d. The pusher jaw 68 also serves tohold the blocks which are in the stack 20 above the block beingdischarged from descending until the latter block is fully dischargedand the jaw 68 is retracted back from the platform.

As also shown in FIG. 1, the store and discharge mechanism 56 includes ablock guide 72 in the form of an angled arm 74 suspended from theenclosure wall 620 with a spring-loaded hinge 76 that resiliently urgesthe arm downward, toward the wall 620 window. The normal position of thearm, when a block is not being discharged, is as shown in FIG. 1. Herethe lower free end of the arm is at the window 64 and, due to the springhinge and weight of the arm, bears against the bottom block in the stack20 with a slight force which urges the block to remain in the stack.When the cylinder 66 and piston 70 discharge a block out of the stack,the block pushes against the arm 74, raising it to the position shown inFIG. 1A. As the leading edge of the block being discharged presses thearm upward further and the block begins to leave the stack, the downwardforce of the arm tips the leading edge of the block downward. Thisaction, coupled with the further discharging of the block by thedischarging piston and cylinder, quickly deposits the block on thereciprocating table 22 between the table walls 47 and 49. Note that theblock is unsupported from below during its descent from the platform 60to the table 22. Also, the table walls preferably flare apart at theirupper ends as shown to facilitate the discharge of a block into aseating engagement between them. The clamping jaw 50 is retracted duringthis block-disharging operation; thereafter it is extended across thetable 22, pushing the block just discharged against the fence 40.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show details of the wedge 24 and the wedge actuator 26. Abracket 80 mounts the illustrated actuator, which is a further pneumaticsolenoid 82 having a piston and cylinder, from the fixed table 38 ashort distance beyond the edge of the saw blade 14 opposite to thecutting edge, as indicated. The bracket'80 disposes the solenoid abovethe height of the blocks being sliced and with the movement of thesolenoid piston being aligned above the cut which the band saw 12 makesin slicing a block 18a.

The wedge 24 projects below the free end of the solenoid piston with anapex at the bottommost end and has increasing thickness along the heightthereof upward from the apex. FIG. 4 shows the position of the wedge 24when the solenoid 82 is retracted; the wedge is above the material beingcut and does not affect the operation of the slicer. However, as shownin FIGS. 3 and 7, when the solenoid 82 projects the wedge downward, asoccurs at the end of the advancing movement of the reciprocating table22 to the final position 25, the wedge enters the saw out just made. Theslice 30 just cut is against the guide fence 40, and hence isconstrained from movement, whereas the uncut block portion 18a isagainst the clamp jaw 50. Accordingly, the wedging action of interposingthe wedge 24 into the saw cut displaces the uncut block portion awayfrom the guide fence 40, which causes the piston 52 to be pushedslightly backward into the cylinder 54. The net result of projecting thewedge 24 into the saw cut is thus to displace the block portion 18asideways away from the saw blade and thereby to widen the saw cut.

As described above, in the illustrated slicer the cylinder 54 is fullyvented at this time and hence does not resist the return of the piston52 by the wedge. Hence the solenoid 82 can retract the wedge 24immediately after projecting it, all while the table 22 is in the finalposition. Thereafter, when the control unit 48 retracts the table, theblock 180 is offset to the side away from the saw blade 14, and hencepasses by it with a clearance space that ensures against an interferingengagement between the block and blade.

In this manner, the feed mechanism 16 is able repeatedly to feed a block18 of frozen fish and other like material past and slightly beyond thesaw blade 14 to fully sever a slice from the block, and then to retractthe block back past the saw blade without the uncut portion of the blockinterferingly engaging the continuously moving saw blade. Suchinterfering engagement tends to abrade the edge of the block 18 alongthe cut just made, which generally wastes a significant portion of theblock, particularly when thin slices are being cut from it. It alsodamages the segment of the block that is to be sliced from it next, aswell as tending to unseat the saw blade from the pulleys on which it istrained. The seating of the block 18a between the walls 47 and 49constrains it from significant cocking or skewing when the wedge 24 isinterposed in the saw cut. As already noted, the wedge 24 is notprojected after the cutting of the last slice from a block, i.e., whenthe residue of the block is too thin to cut another slice from it.Instead, the restraining mechanism 32, which will now be described, iscalled into operation.

With reference to FIGS. 3-7, the illustrated restraining mechanism 32for the residue 90 of a block 18a includes a jaw 84 carried on anactuator 86. To restrain the block residue from retraction to theinitial position 23 with the table 22, the actuator 86 draws the jawtoward the fence 40, thereby clamping the slice just cut and the blockresidue against the fence at the furthest point to which thereciprocating table advances a block 18. FIGS. 4 and 6 show thiscondition of the mechanism 32, with the actuator retracting the jawtoward the fence 40; and FIGS. 3 and 7 show the other nonrestraining,condition of the mechanism where the actuator 86 is extended.

As shown in FIG. 5, the illustrated actuator 86 has a pneumatic solenoidwith a linking arm 87 fixed at one end to the free end of the solenoidpiston and hinged at its other end to an end of the jaw shaft 88. Achanneled guide base 89 mounts the solenoid cylinder between itschannel-forming walls, and the solenoid piston and the shaft 88 passbetween the walls. A captive cam slot 89a is cut into each channel wall,and a pin 88a fixed to the shaft 88 seats in the cam slot 89a in eachwall. The restraining jaw 84 is on the end of the shaft 88; the pin 880projects laterally from the both sides of the shaft intermediate itsends.

The base 89 is mounted on the fixed table 38 adjacent the wedge actuator26 to project the jaw 84 over the guide fence 40 at the final positionof a block 18a. Each cam slot 89a has a horizontal section at its endremoved from the fence 40 and from which an inclined section rises witha ra1np-like configuration to the slot end proximal to the guide.

With this construction of the actuator 86, when the solenoid retractsthe piston, drawing it toward the guide fence 40, as shown in FIGS. 3and 7 and with dashed lines in FIG. 5, the piston and the arm 87 extendthe shaft out from the base 89 and further across the fence 40. Thismoves the camfollower pin 88a up the inclined section of the cam slotand thereby tilts the shaft upward, raising the jaw 84 up free of theblock 18a on the table 22. The control unit 48 normally maintains theactuator 86 in this non-restraining position, where the restrainingmechanism does not interfere with the slicing of each block.

However, when the feed mechanism 16 senses that the block residue 90 istoo thin to cut another slice from it, or is thinner than whatever otherthickness is desired, the control unit 48 (FIG. 1) operates the actuator86 to retract the jaw 84, thereby clamping the block residue against thefence. The control unit provides ths operation when the reciprocatingtable 22 is at the final position 25 (FIG. 2). To retract the jaw 84,the control unit actuates the solenoid 85 to extend the piston and arm87, thereby drawing the shaft 88 into the base 89. As the cam-followerpin 88a moves down the inclined section ofthe cam slot to the horizontalsection, the slot cams the shaft downward as shown in solid lines inFIG. 5. This drops the jaw 84 down to be alongside the block residue 90.The further movement of the shaft, with the pin in the horizontal slotsection, draws the jaw 84 against the block residue (FIG. 4) until thejaw is clamping the residue, and the last slice cut, against the fence40. Thereafter, the illustrated control unit operates the block-clampingcylinder 54 to retract the piston 52 and jaw 50, as shown in FIG. 6, andoperates the cylinder 44 to return the table 22 to the initial position.The control unit then returns the actuator 86 to its non-restrainingposition. The block residue 90 is then adjacent the last slice cut fromthe block and can be removed from the slicer.

The feed mechanism 16 senses when the uncut por tion of a block is toothin to cut further slices from it by means of a switch which theclamping jaw 50 actu-, ates. By way of example, and with reference toFIGS. 3-7, the illustrated feed mechanism 16 mounts a switch 92 having acontrol arm 94 above the block 18a being cut and adjacent the blockclamping jaw 50 when at the final'position 25. A switch actuator 96 ismounted on the top of the block clamping jaw50 to engage the switch whenthe jaw is clamping a block 18 of the specified minimum thickness.

With this arrangement, the control unit 48 maintains the restrainingmechanism 32 in the non-restraining condition (FIG. 3) so long as thejaw 50 is clamping a block 18a having a thickness greater than thespecified .minimum value. However, during the slicing of the block tothis or to a lesser thickness, the jaw 50 carries the switch actuator 96into engagement with the arm 94 of the switch 92, which signals thecontrol unit to retract the jaw actuator 86 to the position of FIG. 4.

Actuation of switch 92 also inhibits operation of the wedge 24. Wheredesired, as for timing purposes, instead of the single switch 92, twoswitches arrange to be actuated in succession can be used. The firstswitch to be actuated can inhibit operation of the wedge actuator 26,and the other switch can operate the restraining mechanism 32.

With reference to FIGS. 3, 6 and 7, the slicer 10 base 36 has adischarge chute 102 leading downward from beyond the final position ofthe reciprocating table 22 to guide the block residues from the machine.As shown in FIG. 7, each slice 30 is discharged from the slicer to aconveyor or other output device by the advancing movement of the nextsucceeding slice being cut. Similarly, the advancing movement of a freshblock on the table 22 pushes the residue 90 of the prior block dovm thechute 102.

In the event the residue 90 sticks to the last slice cut from it, asthat slice is pushed from the machine, particularly after that slice andthe residue have been together clamped to the fence by the restrainingjaw 84, the residue 90 engages a separator 106 that separates it fromthe slice and deflects it to the chute 102. As shown in FIGS. 3, 6 and7, a bracket 108 mounts the separator beyond the final position of thetable 22 and above the path of a block residue in moving from the finalposition to the chute 102.

The illustrated separator is a rake-like device that deflects theresidue 90 to the side away from the slice. More particularly, theseparator 106 has a number of resilient, deflecting tines 109 dependingfrom a mounting block 110 to project their lower free ends into the pathof the block residue 90. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the tines arealigned in a row that extends both longitudinal to the fence 40 andflared outward from it, the flare being such as to deflect the residue90 sideways away from the slice 30.

As a slice 30 to which a block residue 90, is stuck is pushed from theslicer, the residue carried with the block engages a tine 109. As theadvancing residue increasingly deflects the tine, the reaction force ofthe tine dislodges the residue from the slice. The slice-isthen free todischarge alone, and the rake of tines 109 ensures that the residue 90slides down the chute 102. The one or two lead tines, i.e., the tinesclosest to the saw blade 14, may engage the slice 30 before a furthertine engages the block residue. However, the tines are suflicientlysupple to deflect and allow the slice to pass beneath them. 1

Alternative to the illustrated separator 106 that, in effect, wedges theblock residue from the last slice cut from it, the slicer 10 can use awedging separator similar tothe wedge 24 and actuator 26. In fact, theseelements 24 and 26 can provide the separating function provided they areactuated after the restraining mechanism 32 has released the residue andafter the table 22 has retracted from the final position.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart summarizing the operation of the illustratedslicer 10. The operation starts with the start of the band saw, actionbox 112; the operator can stop the operation at any time in the sequenceby means of a manual control, i.e., an on-off switch. As indicated withaction box 1 14 of the flow chart, the illustrated sequence commenceswith the return of the reciprocating table 22 to the initial position 23(FIG. 2) by retraction of the piston 46 into the pneumatic cylinder 44.

When no block is on the table 22, as indicated with an affirmativedecision from decision box 116, the control unit 48 branches to actionbox 118. The table empty decision of box 116 can be made manually whenthe slicer is turned on after being off, and thereafter can be madeautomatically in response to the actuation, in the immediately precedingslice-cutting cycle, of the residue restraining mechanism 32 as notedbelow. In any event, when the control unit branches to action box 118,it operates the store and discharge mechanism 56 to discharge a freshblock 18 from the stack 20 onto the reciprocating table 22. This is doneby actuating cylinder 66 of the mechanism 56 to project the piston 70and thereby push the pusher jaw 68 across the platform 60 to dischargethe bottommost block from the stack 20. The cylinder 66 automaticallythereafter again retracts the piston 70 to withdraw the jaw 68 from theenclosure 58 and thereby allow the stack of blocks to descend anddispose another block on the platform 60 ready for discharge.

Upon completion of the block discharge operation, or when'a blockalready is on the table (negative decision from box 116), the controlunit proceeds to action box 120, and drives the clamp jaw. This is doneby actuating cylinder 54 to extend piston 52, which carries the clampjaw 50, and thereby clamp the block on the table against the fence 40.As indicated with action box 122, the control unit then advances thereciprocating table 22 from the initial position 23 to the finalposition 25, for the cutting of a slice from the block of materialclamped on the table. As described above, the pressure in the clampingcylinder 54 gradually bleeds off during the table advance movement ofaction box 122, so that it is near zero when the table reaches the finalposition.

When the block is thick enough to cut another slice from it, assignalled by the switch 92 being not-closed (negative decision from box124), at the end of the block advancing motion the control unit 48operates the wedge actuator 26 and projects the wedge 24 into the sawout just made and then retracts it, action box 126. This displaces theuncut portion of the block 180 away from the fence 40 to ensureclearance between the block and saw blade. The slicer is then ready tocommence the next cycle of operation, action box 114, to which itautomatically proceeds.

However, when the switch 92 is closed, as indicated with an affirmativedecision from the decision box 124, the control unit 48 inhibits theactions in box 126 and instead branches to the action indicated inaction box 128. That is, it operates the actuator 86 to retract therestraining jaw 84 and thereby restrain the residue 90 of the blockbeing cut against the fence. The control unit next retracts the clampjaw 50, as indicated with action box 130, thereby readying the feedmechanism 16 for the discharge of another block 18 from the stack 20onto the table 22 and signalling the control unit to produce anaffirmative decision during the table empty" decision in the next cycle.Thereafter, the con-.

trol unit extends the restraining jaw 86, action box 132, therebyplacing it in the non-restraining position shown in FIG. 3. The slicerthen recycles to action box 114.

The control unit 48 for operating the pneumatic piston-cylinderactuators, or whatever other actuators are used, for this operation isconsidered conventional and is not discussed in detail since it can befabricated-with known skills. Further, it is to be understood that thecontrol unit 48 operates in connection with a pneumatic pressure source,and with pressure regulators, limit switches, position sensors and thelike, all as conventional. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the block18a when clamped against the fence 40 engages a position sensor 134 tosignal the control unit to initiate each advance of the carriage 22.

With further reference to FIG. 1, it shows another feature of theautomatic slicer 10. A principle feature of the slicer 10 is that ityields economies in time, labor and material being sliced, whencontrasted with prior machines and practices. However, it has been foundthat a further economy results when the feed mechanism 16 quickly stopsin the event the band saw blade 14 breaks. Continued operation of thefeed mechanism after the blade breaks, even briefly before an attendantcan respond and manually turn off the slicer, often results in wastefuldamage to the block 18a on the table 22, as well as delaying restart ofthe slicer.

Accordingly, the slicer 1.0 has a sensor that responds to a loss ofblade tension to deactivate the feed mechanism 16. As shown in .FIG. 1,it is conventional that band saws have a strong spring 136 or likemechanism which resiliently urges the two pulleys on which the saw blade14 is trained apart, to maintain the blade under tension. In theillustrated slicer band saw 12, the base 36 mounts the lowerblade-guiding pulley and has a slide track 138 that telescopicallyreceives a rail 140 mounted on a tube support 141 which carries the sawhead 142, to which the upper blade-guiding pulley is mounted. The spring136 is compressed between the base 36 and the saw head 142 by a follower144 engaging a base-mounted tensioning cam 146 that is rotated by aratcheted lever 148.

The weight of the tube support 141 and of the saw head 142, and thetension in the saw blade 14, all act on and hence compress the spring136. Accordingly, when the blade 14 is intact, the spring is compressedas shown and the follower 144 is telescopically received well within thetube support 141. However, when the saw blade breaks, the spring isunder less compression and expands, moving the tube support upwardrelative to the follower.

In accordance with the invention, a switch 150 is mounted on the lowerend of the tube support, and a switch-actuating arm 152 is fixed to thefollower 144 to engage and close the switch when the spring 136 iscompressed. When closed, the switch 150 maintains a valve 156 (FIG. 1,upper left) positioned to deliver pneumatic pressure from the supply 158to the control unit 48. However, when the switch is opened, it actuatesthe valve 156 to block off the pressure from the supply and instead tovent the pressure line feeding the control unit.

With this arrangement, when the blade breaks or otherwise loses tensionso that the saw head and tube support rise, the tube support lifts theswitch 150 relative to the actuator arm 152 and thereby opens the switch150. This action promptly removes the pneumatic pressure from thecontrol unit 48, and hence from all the pneumatic cylinders andactuators of the slicer 10. Consequently, the slicer feed mechanismhalts. When desired, the switch 150 can also interrupt the electricpower to the slicer 10, for example, to deactivate the saw motor, whenthe blade breaks.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efficiently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

It should be noted that the slices cut with the machine described abovecan be of sufficient thickness to be considered slabs; and accordinglythe term slice is used herein in a broad general sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as amatter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and secured byLetters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for feeding blocks of material in serial succession to acutting tool which repeatedly cuts segments from each block, saidapparatus comprising A. releasable block-feeding means 1. having arelease position for releasing and for receiving a block and having aclosed position for holding a block positioned for said cutting ofsegments therefrom,

2. mounted for movement relative to the cutting tool between a startposition and a finish position for said cutting of segments,

B. block store and discharge means for storing a stack of said blocksand operable to discharge a single block from the stack thereof to saidblockfeeding means, said store and discharge means 1. storing saidblocks in a vertically extending stack disposed at least partlyvertically above said feeding means, and

2. discharging the single block laterally from said stack and forunsupported descent to said feeding means, and

C. control means actuating said store and discharge means to discharge ablock therefrom to said feeding means only when said feeding means is insaid release position and concurrently in said start position.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. in which said feeding means moveshorizontally between said start and finish positions thereof and moveshorizontally between said release and closed positions thereof,

B. in which said store and discharge means discharges each block fromthe stack thereof with a horizontal movement of the block beingdischarged, and

C. further comprising deflector means in the path of a block beingdischarged horizontally from the stack thereof and for engagementtherewith and biasing the movement of the discharged block in a downwarddirection to said feeding means.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. in which said feeding meanscomprises a horizontally extending platform surface for receiving ablock discharged from said store and discharge means and for supportingsaid block during said cutting operation thereof, B. in which said storeand discharge means discharges each block from the stack thereof with ahorizontal movement of the block being discharged, and C. furthercomprising a pivotally mounted deflector member I. suspended from thepivot point thereof into the path of a block being dischargedhorizontally from the stack thereof,

2. engaged by and pivoted by the block being discharged horizontallyfrom the stack thereof, and

3. resiliently resisting said pivoting motion to bias the movement ofthe discharged block into a downward direction from said store anddischarge means to said platform of said feeding means.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. further comprising a horizontallyextending guide fence against which said feeding means clamps a blockwhen in the closed position thereof and along which said feeding meansmoves a block during said movement between said start and finishpositions for said cutting operation,

B. in which said feeding means comprises 1. a horizontally disposedplanar platform surface disposed with said guide fence protruding upwardfrom the plane thereof along one side thereof and for receiving a blockdischarged from said store and discharge means and for supporting theblock during said cutting operation, and

2. a block-clamp movable along said platform surface in a horizontaldirection normal to the extension of said guide fence between saidrelease position of said feeding means where said clamp is spaced fromthe fence for the receipt of a block on the platform surface between theclamp and said fence, and said closed position of said feeding meanswhere said clamp presses a block against said fence.

5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. further comprising a horizontallyextending guide fence against which a block is clamped by said feedingmeans when said feeding means is in said closed position thereof,

B. in which said feeding means comprises 1. a first horizontallyextending planar platform surface disposed with said guide fenceprotruding upward from the plane thereof along one side thereof and forreceiving a block discharged from said store and discharge means and forsupporting the block during said cutting operation, and

2. block-clamp means movable relative to said guide fence between saidrelease position and said closed position, and

C. in which said store and discharge means comprises 1. a second,horizontally extending planar platfonn surface disposed above and atleast partly over said first platform surface,

2. chute means for con aining blocks into a stack stack thereof fromsjid second platform and on said second platform and having ablockthrough said opening for discharge onto said first passing openingtherethrough and platform.

3. means for pushing a block laterally from said 5

1. Apparatus for feeding blocks of material in serial succession to acutting tool which repeatedly cuts segments from each block, saidapparatus comprising A. releasable block-feeding means
 1. having arelease position for releasing and for receiving a block and having aclosed position for holding a block positioned for said cutting ofsegments therefrom,
 2. mounted for movement relative to the cutting toolbetween a start position and a finish position for said cutting ofsegments, B. block store and discharge means for storing a stack of saidblocks and operable to discharge a single block from the stack thereofto said block-feeding means, said store and discharge means
 1. storingsaid blocks in a vertically extending stack disposed at least partlyvertically above said feeding means, and
 2. discharging the single blocklaterally from said stack and for unsupported descent to said feedingmeans, and C. control means actuating said store and discharge means todischarge a block therefrom to said feeding means only when said feedingmeans is in said release position and concurrently in said startposition.
 2. mounted for movement relative to the cutting tool between astart position and a finish position for said cutting of segments, B.block store and discharge means for storing a stack of said blocks andoperable to discharge a single block from the stack thereof to saidblock-feeding means, said store and discharge means
 2. discharging thesingle block laterally from said stack and for unsupported descent tosaid feeding means, and C. control means actuating said store anddischarge means to discharge a block therefrom to said feeding meansonly when said feeding means is in said release position andconcurrently in said start position.
 2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1A. in which said feeding means moves horizontally between said start andfinish positions thereof and moves horizontally between said release andclosed positions thereof, B. in which said store and discharge meansdischarges each block from the stack thereof with a horizontal movementof the block being discharged, and C. further comprising deflector meansin the path of a block being discharged horizontally from the stackthereof and for engagement therewith and biasing the movement of thedischarged block in a downward direction to said feeding means. 2.engaged by and pivoted by the block being discharged horizontally fromthe stack thereof, and
 2. a block-clamp movable along said platformsurface in a horizontal direction normal to the extension of said guidefence between said release position of said feeding means where saidclamp is spaced from the fence for the receipt of a block on theplatform surface between the clamp and said fence, and said closedposition of said feeding means where said clamp presses a block againstsaid fence.
 2. block-clamp means movable relative to said guide fencebetween said release position and said closed position, and C. in whichsaid store and discharge means comprises
 2. chute means for constrainingblocks into a stack on said second platform and having a block-passingopening therethrough and
 3. means for pushing a block laterally fromsaid stack thereof from said second platform and through said openingfor discharge onto said first platform.
 3. resiliently resisting saidpivoting motion to bias the movement of the discharged block into adownward direction from said store and discharge means to said platformof said feeding means.
 3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. in whichsaid feeding means comprises a horizontally extending platform surfacefor receiving a block discharged from said store and discharge means andfor supporting said block during said cutting operation thereof, B. inwhich said store and discharge means discharges each block from thestack thereof with a horizontal movement of the block being discharged,and C. further comprising a pivotally mounted deflector member 4.Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. further comprising a horizontallyextending guide fence against which said feeding means clamps a blockwhen in the closed position thereof and along which said feeding meansmoves a block during said movement between said start and finishpositions for said cutting operation, B. in which said feeding meanscomprises
 5. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 A. further comprising ahorizontally extending guide fence against which a block is clamped bysaid feeding means when said feeding means is in said closed positionthereof, B. in which said feeding means comprises